Author |
Message |
Doddie
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:00 pm |
|
|
welcoming committee |
|
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:13 pm Posts: 1723 Location: Dunedin, Alba.
|
I do not believe that any articles from any media organasation anywhere in the world should be doing so... Ponder these reasons: 1. In a democracy the media claims freedom of speech and the right to report on anything it sees fit, they are also given access to people and places the likes of you and me would never be given. 2. During a global emergency such as Covid-19, nobody should have to pay to read what the media have learned from that privileged access. 3. They claim that the 'public has a right to know'... but not every member of the public can afford to pay the price they demand for access to their 'right to know'... how is that democratic? Why am i posting this?... I tried to read the following article (posted on 24th Oct) on one of the UK's foremost broadsheet newspapers only to find the entire website is behind a paywall... Quote: Misery of the Covid-19 long-haulers: ‘We’re all guinea pigs, we don’t know what’s around the corner’ As science scrambles to make sense of Long Covid, its life-shattering consequences are only just being heard
It has a plethora of symptoms, strikes the young and old, and lasts for months – maybe much longer. It’s also so new that scientists aren’t sure what they’re dealing with. For those whose lives have been deeply affected by long-term repercussions of Covid, the battle to be recognised is just the start.... <enter paywall to read further> Source not supplied because i don't want it to appear as if i have a vendetta against any particular organisation.I find it repulsive that any mainstream media organisation is trying to make money from a disease that is taking hundreds of thousands of lives and making even more miserable, i will never pay any organisation a single penny that does, no matter how much i'd like to read more.
|
|
|
|
|
jaylach
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:15 pm |
|
|
Resident Geekazoid Administrator |
|
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:09 am Posts: 9438 Location: The state of confusion; I just use Wyoming for mail.
|
Don't know if this really applies as it isn't about money but we have a presidential candidate that is now complaining publicly about COVID being too much in the media... He is tired of hearing about it as 'the corner has been turned and our numbers are great' even in the midst of the highest infection numbers since July. How many media sources are going to lessen the output of important information just to appease this candidate???
|
|
|
|
|
Doddie
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 7:30 pm |
|
|
welcoming committee |
|
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:13 pm Posts: 1723 Location: Dunedin, Alba.
|
My understanding is the same presidential candidate is threatening to move back to Scotland if he loses the US election! I wish him the best of luck with that if it happens, despite the Scottish Govt giving him permission to build courses where people hit balls with sticks and the environment irreparably damaged, he's not popular in Scotland.
|
|
|
|
|
bbarry
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:24 pm |
|
|
welcoming committee |
|
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:47 am Posts: 2399 Location: North Central Arkansas
|
I thought talking politics on Computer Haven was a 'no-no'. And don't try and tell me that this thread is not going political.
|
|
|
|
|
jaylach
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:37 pm |
|
|
Resident Geekazoid Administrator |
|
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:09 am Posts: 9438 Location: The state of confusion; I just use Wyoming for mail.
|
bbarry wrote: I thought talking politics on Computer Haven was a 'no-no'. And don't try and tell me that this thread is not going political. Ya, it is and I have to admit that I am at fault. Sometimes it is hard to not do so with COVID...
|
|
|
|
|
Doddie
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 8:45 pm |
|
|
welcoming committee |
|
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:13 pm Posts: 1723 Location: Dunedin, Alba.
|
jaylach wrote: bbarry wrote: I thought talking politics on Computer Haven was a 'no-no'. And don't try and tell me that this thread is not going political. Ya, it is and I have to admit that I am at fault. Sometimes it is hard to not do so with COVID... Consider yourself spanked by Barry! My bad too
|
|
|
|
|
bbarry
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 9:25 pm |
|
|
welcoming committee |
|
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:47 am Posts: 2399 Location: North Central Arkansas
|
Jay occasionally let's me moderate........
|
|
|
|
|
sboots
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 10:01 pm |
|
|
Site Admin |
|
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:48 pm Posts: 2946 Location: New Jersey
|
Bringing the subject back to media and paywalls...
I hate paywalls, but I understand the reasoning. Newspapers and magazines existed long before computers and you needed to pay for them to read them, or manage to get a discarded copy. Advertising paid some of the costs to the publishers, but there was still a subscription charge or a single copy cover charge. Some public libraries maintained subscriptions so that the public could read them. Television and radio (at least here in the US) via broadcast is/was free, but is supported by advertisers.
The Internet came along and the game changed. Some publishers continue to provide content for free, but you must allow ads. Other publishers have digital subscriptions available, but allow a small number of article accesses per month for free. Other publishers offer nothing for free and have a paywall. As frustrating as that is, I understand why and accept that it is so.
I believe that information in most articles behind a paywall is also available from other publishers, albeit not by the same authors and perhaps not as detailed. I am sure that there are exceptions. I do agree that publishers should open their paywalls for COVID related information. It would certainly be a service to the population at large and may even yield them a few subscribers.
_________________ stephen boots Microsoft MVP 2004 - 2020 "Life's always an adventure with computers!"
|
|
|
|
|
Doddie
|
Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2020 11:11 pm |
|
|
welcoming committee |
|
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:13 pm Posts: 1723 Location: Dunedin, Alba.
|
sboots wrote: Bringing the subject back to media and paywalls...
I hate paywalls, but I understand the reasoning. Newspapers and magazines existed long before computers and you needed to pay for them to read them, or manage to get a discarded copy. Advertising paid some of the costs to the publishers, but there was still a subscription charge or a single copy cover charge. Some public libraries maintained subscriptions so that the public could read them. Television and radio (at least here in the US) via broadcast is/was free, but is supported by advertisers.
The Internet came along and the game changed. Some publishers continue to provide content for free, but you must allow ads. Other publishers have digital subscriptions available, but allow a small number of article accesses per month for free. Other publishers offer nothing for free and have a paywall. As frustrating as that is, I understand why and accept that it is so.
I believe that information in most articles behind a paywall is also available from other publishers, albeit not by the same authors and perhaps not as detailed. I am sure that there are exceptions. I do agree that publishers should open their paywalls for COVID related information. It would certainly be a service to the population at large and may even yield them a few subscribers. I couldn't agree more, the latter especially.
|
|
|
|
|
Doddie
|
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2020 8:36 pm |
|
|
welcoming committee |
|
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:13 pm Posts: 1723 Location: Dunedin, Alba.
|
|
|
|
|
Doddie
|
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2020 7:41 pm |
|
|
welcoming committee |
|
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 4:13 pm Posts: 1723 Location: Dunedin, Alba.
|
sboots wrote: Bringing the subject back to media and paywalls... I got so frustrated today with the newspaper obsession for putting Covid related news behind paywalls that for the first time i actively looked for a way to circumvent them. It turns out it wasn't difficult, i won't say how i managed it because i don't want to promote so called piracy, but i will say that news orgnisations seriously need to rethink their business model if they think a paywall is a method to replace a paper newspaper in an online environment. The music and movie industries have re-invented their business models without alienating their client base, i fail to understand why the printed media can't do the same.
|
|
|
|
|
|